Adolescent Support Review
What this is for
Update supports as the young person’s body, priorities, environments, and expectations change. The Adolescent Support Review is a collaborative check-in. It identifies what is still working, what has become uncomfortable or inaccessible, what new demands have appeared, and which support should be updated first. This protocol does not assess legal capacity, diagnose a medical or mental-health condition, or replace individualized transition planning.
What you'll need
- A support-review worksheet or notes app
- The young person’s preferred communication tools
- Input from the young person and relevant supporters
Step by step
Prepare an accessible check-in
Choose a time, place, and communication format that the young person can access. Options may include: • Conversation with extra processing time • AAC, typing, drawing, rating scales, or photographs • Separate check-ins with different trusted people • A short meeting spread across several days Explain what will be discussed and how the information will be used.
Begin with the young person’s priorities
Ask what feels easier, harder, more important, more private, or more frustrating now. Invite goals related to comfort, relationships, school, work, technology, transportation, money, health, identity, free time, personal care, or community access. Do not begin only with adult concerns.
Review body and health changes
Record changes in: • Sleep and energy • Pain, headaches, gastrointestinal symptoms, or seizures • Eating, hydration, weight, or medication • Menstruation, puberty, skin, dental, or personal-care needs • Anxiety, mood, withdrawal, self-injury, or loss of interest New or persistent symptoms should be shared with an appropriate health professional.
Review communication, sensory, and privacy needs
Ask whether existing AAC, visuals, routines, clothing, sensory tools, or environmental adjustments still fit. Check whether the young person has private and reliable ways to communicate: • Yes, no, stop, and not sure • Pain or discomfort • Help or a break • A question about body changes, relationships, or sexuality • A concern about bullying, pressure, abuse, or safety
Map new demands across settings
List what school, home, health care, community activities, work, or relationships now require. Look for new demands involving: • Longer or more complex tasks • Organization and time • Social judgment and hidden rules • Travel and community safety • Money and technology • Self-care and health management • Decisions about future services Separate the skill itself from the support needed to access it.
Identify what must continue
Write down supports that remain essential even if the young person appears more capable in some settings. Examples include AAC, reminders, sensory accommodations, transportation help, appointment preparation, co-regulation, supervision for specific hazards, or assistance understanding choices. Do not remove several supports at once to “test independence.”
Choose one update
Select one change that is meaningful, safe, and specific. Examples: • Replace a childlike visual with a private phone checklist • Add an AAC page for health and consent • Move a difficult routine to a lower-demand time • Request a school or workplace accommodation • Begin a health-care transition summary • Practice directing one part of personal assistance
Assign responsibility and review
Record: • What will change • Who will do each part • What the young person agreed to • How success and distress will be measured • When the plan will be reviewed Revisit the plan within two to four weeks and complete a broader review at least every three months or after a major change.
What to watch for
Useful signs include: • The young person communicates more preferences or concerns • Supports feel more private and age-respectful • Participation improves without a sharp increase in distress • Adults agree on which supports must continue • Health or mental-health concerns are identified earlier • One clear next step replaces several vague goals A quiet meeting is not automatically a successful meeting. Confirm that the young person had an accessible way to participate.
When to stop and call your practitioner
Pause the review and seek appropriate professional help for: • New pain, fainting, seizures, weakness, or rapid physical change • Persistent sleep, eating, or menstrual concerns • Sudden loss of established skills • Major depression, panic, self-injury, or statements about suicide • Suspected bullying, abuse, coercion, or exploitation • Unsafe wandering or inability to maintain safety Use emergency or crisis services for suicidal intent, serious injury, loss of consciousness, a prolonged seizure, severe breathing difficulty, suspected immediate abuse, or immediate danger.
Clinic Note
Editorial draft · Clinical review pending
“Adolescent planning works best when we review the environment and support system—not only the teenager. The goal is to update access, privacy, and participation as life becomes more complex.”